Reuben Dettwiler

Title: Reuben Dettwiler fonds

Dates of creation: [19--] - [194-], 1940s predominant 

Physical description: 10 cm of textual records

Biographical sketch: Reuben Dettwiler was born in Brutus, Michigan in 1901 to Abraham K. and Veronica Sauder Dettwiler. The family moved to St. Jacobs where he married Ella Weber in 1923. They had three daughters: Fern, Leeta and Galdys. He was ordained as a deacon at Elmira Mennonite Church in 1929, and in 1935 he was ordained to preach at Elmira and Floradale. He also preached at Bethel, Glen Allan and Berea. Most of his ministry was at Floradale. In 1947 he was ordained bishop. Reuben Dettwiler died suddenly in 1951.

Scope and content: Contains handwritten course notes, sermon notes, notes on services for weddings, baptisms, anointings, communion inquiry, and communion. Also includes poems from the Montreal River Alternative Service work camp. The sermon notes are predominantly for sermons preached at Floradale. Dettwiler wrote an index of sermons preached, along with dates, themes, texts and places, from 1934-1940.

Custodial history: Course and sermon notes were donated by Roger Horst in 2011. Additional sermon notes, the Mennonite Hour notes and Montreal River songs were donated by Leeta Horst in 2016. Additional sermon notes and the sermon index were donated by Glen Horst in 2017. Addititional "special meeting" sermon notes were donated by Richard Olley in 2023, along with items 5 and 6. The letter to St. Jacobs was transferred by the Archives from a St. Jacobs donation in 2020.

Notes: Original archival description created 2011 by Laureen Harder-Gissing.

File list:

1. Course and sermon notes
2. Mennonite Hour radio program sermon notes
3. Montreal River camp songs sent to Reuben Dettwiler from Robert Milne and Alvin W. Brubacher
   "Camp life at Montreal River: the morning bell ringing..."
   "Montreal River camp song: t'was the first day of the New Year..."
4. Letter of thanks to the St. Jacobs Mennonite Church congregation
5. Abraham K. and Veronica (Sauder) Dettwiler marriage, birth and death entries from the family Bible
6. Abraham W. Dettwiler and Barbara Koch (parents of Abraham K.) marriage certificate, 1851